(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to anchor devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an anchor device for soccer goals and the like. The anchor device is used for engaging and securing a soccer goal frame to a ground surface.
It should be noted that the Federation of International Football Association, (FIFA), an international body which governs all soccer play including U.S. participants at the college, high school and youth divisions, as well as adult and professional players, stresses the importance of safety in their rules related to the anchoring of soccer goals. In the FIFA rules, it states under a heading of Safety, "Goals must be anchored securely to the ground. Portable goals may only be used if they satisfy this requirement."
(b) Discussion of Prior Art
Full size and near full size regulation soccer goals (8 feet high by 24 feet wide) can present a danger if not properly set or anchored into a ground surface. Moreover, portable full size goals, which are designed to accommodate moving about a playing field, are always at risk of falling unless anchored, moored or otherwise attached to the ground. By its structure, a soccer goal's 24 foot long horizontal bar, raised eight feet above the ground, defines a relatively high center of gravity with a potential for pivoting forward and falling on to the ground surface. This is particularly true, when a child or children climb on the soccer goal frame and swing from the raised horizontal bar. This swinging from the horizontal bar has caused the goal frame, when not anchored, to tip forward causing injuries and deaths to children.
Heretofore there have a been a variety of anchor devices using augers for engaging a ground surface. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,107 to Reece and U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,623 to McNamara, two different types of anchoring devices are described for securing posts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,863,137 to Cockman et al. and 3,848,367 to Barnes describe post anchoring devices with augers for engaging a ground surface. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,142 to Roba describes an anchoring device.
None of these prior art anchor devices provide a unique combination of structure and features of the subject soccer goal anchor device for engaging and securing a soccer goal frame to a ground surface as described herein.